Grain-car door



(No Model.) .2 SheetsSheet 1.

o. A. SOHROYER. GRAIN CAR DOOR.

No. 450,430. Patented Apr. 14, 1891.

(No Model.) I 2 sheets-Sheena) C. A. SOHROYER.

GRAIN GAR BOUR- No. 450,430 Pa tented Apr. 14,1891.

Hi!!! w (III II UNITED STATES PATENT EEIcE.

CHARLES A. SCHROYER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GRAIN-CAR DOOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,430, dated April14, 1891.

Application filed December 4, 1890. Serial No- 373,574=. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. SonRoYER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Car Doors, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The objectof my invention is to make a car door that will not bindagainst the side of the car when it is being opened,even though the sideof the car be pressed or bulged out by the load of grain within; and myinvention consists in the feat ures and details of constructionhereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved grain-cardoor closed. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken through theline 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing thedoor in its closed position. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section ofthe same, showing the door open or slid back along the side of the car.Fig. 4 is a transversevertical section of one of the lowerfasteningbrackets of the door, taken through the line 4 of Fig. 1,looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 represents the same as itappears when the fastening-pin is removed and the door sprung out. Fig.6 is an enlarged front elevation of the lower fasteners of the door witha part broken away. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of thefastening-bracket, and Fig.

8 is a plan view of the sliding plate of the fastener.

IVhen the car is filled with grain, there is a pressure on the insideagainst the sides of the car, which has the effect of causing them tobulge or to be pressed out more or less, according to the strength ofthe car. l'Vhen the sides are bulged out by the pressure of the load ofgrain within, it of course bends or pushes out the guides or ways alongwhich the door slides in opening. This has the effect of causing thedoor to bind against the side of the car or in its tracks or ways whenit is attempted to slide it back to open it. In order to obviate thisdifficulty, I have provided means which enable the door, when releasedfor the purpose of being opened, to spring or move out, so as toaccommodate itself to the bend or bulge caused in the side of the car orin its ways by the pressure of the load of grain in the car.

In making my improved car-door I make a door A, adapted to move back andforth along the sides of the car in upper and lower rails or ways, asusual. I provide the lower edge of the door with fastening-brackets B,which are secured to the sides of the door by bolts or screws, as may bedesired. The underside of the fastening-bracket is provided with agroove or channel 0, transverse to the track or way, preferablydovetailed, in which a sliding plate D is arranged. This sliding plateis provided on its lower side with a groove or channel E, adapted toengage with the lower rail or way F, along which the door slides ormoves as it is opened or closed. The fastening-bracket is provided withan outwardlyprojecting portion G, and the sliding plate is provided withan outwardly-projecting portion g, and a vertical hole is providedthrough the projecting portion of thefastening-bracket andprojectingportion of the plate toadmit of abolt or fastening-pin beinginserted to hold the door securely in place when closed.

In order to prevent the door from moving laterally entirely off of thesliding plate, I provide means for catching or stopping it after it hasmoved out a desired distance. These means may be of any desired kind,although I have shown in the drawings a stop I near the inner edge ofthe fastening-bracket and have provided the sliding plate with stops 2',that engage with the stops on the fastening-brackets when the door issprung or moved out a predetermined distance. a

In order to keep the door in as close position to the sides of the caras possible, the under side of the fastening-brackets B are providedwith an upwardly and outwardly inclined surface I), which rests at alltimes upon the track or rail F. This tends to cause the door toautomatically slide or move in toward the side of the car, and alljarring of the car in transit will have the tendency of making the doorconstantly hug closer to the side of the car.

WVhen the car has been filled with grain door is slid back on its waysF, it will move out enough on the sliding-plate to always permit it toaccommodate itself to the bulge in the side of the ear.

sufficient distance on the sliding plate, if desired, to enable it toclear the car.

Although I have described myimprovem ent in connection with grain-cars,yet it is obvious that it is applicable to stock and other cars in whichheavy loads are carried. In the case of stock-cars the refuseaccumulating in the car will be tramped and packed by the stock outthrough the slats, so as to bear against the lower end of the door andbind it against the rail or way on which it moves. I make thisexplanation so that it will be understood that I contemplate the use ofmy improvements in connection with cars of all kinds in which abinding-pressure against the door may be occasioned in use.

That I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-door, the combination of a track or way along which thelower end of the door moves in opening and closing, a fasteningbracketsecured to the lower end of the door and provided with a groove orchannel in its 2; In a ear-door, the combination of a track 1 or wayalong which the lowerend of the door moves in opening and closing, afasteningbraeket secured to the lower end of the door A handle J is alsoprovided to enable the door to be pulled out a 1 and provided with agroove or channel in its lower side transverse to the track or way, aplate arranged in the groove or channel and engaging the track or wayand movable along the same and permitting the fastening-bracket to moveon it toward and from the side of the car, and stops to limit the extentof movement from the side of the ear of the fastening-bracket on theplate, substantially as described.

In a car-door, the combination of a track or way along which the lowerend of the door moves in opening and closing, a fasteningbracket securedto the lower end of the door and provided with a groove or channel inits lower side transverse to the track or way and extending out beyondthe side of the door, and a plate arranged in the groove or channel andengaging the track orway and movable along the same and permitting thefastening-bracket to move on it toward and from the side of the car andextending out beyond the side of the door, and a fastening pin or boltfor locking the fastening bracket and plate, substantially as described.

Al. In a car-door, the combination of a track or way along which thelower end of the door moves in opening and closing, and afastening-bracket secured to the lower end of the door and provided withan upwardly and outwardly inclined bottom surface resting on the trackor way to cause the door to slide in toward the side of the car untilpositively moved from it, substantially as described.

CHARLES A. SC-HROYER.

Witnesses:

THOMAS A. BANNINo, SAMUEL E. IIIBBEN.

